Disclaimer: I do not own Metal Gear Solid or it's characters, i do own my OC Rayne and changes to the game plot etc. First MGS fic. wasn't sure to post this or not, it's really old, i've been writing bits and pieces of this here and there for the past... 3-4 years. So it's probably not my best work.

I had just bought the HD version of Metal Gear for PS3. The third one, Snake Eater, had always been my favorite. It was one of the first ones I played. I put the game in the PS3 and turned on my TV. I sat down in my black bean bag chair and selected the game before letting it load. The game loaded and I hit New Game. Since I really liked the EZ gun with unlimited ammo, laser sight and a silencer that never wears off, I picked Very Easy more. I wait for the opening scene to play but it was replaced with static.

"Oh don't tell me I got a fake game. Can people do that?" I made a face and shook my head. I had an awful habit of talking to myself and asking myself questions. I sighed and got up, putting the controller on the bean bag before walking over to the TV. "I know it's on the right input." I tapped on the glass like an idiot. I sighed again and hit the top of the TV. Suddenly the white static on the screen seemed to grow brighter and the air suddenly felt warped and heavy. It felt like when you stand up too fast and your vision tunnels for a few seconds only it was white and filled my vision.

Snake's pov

I jumped down from the tree my stuff had gotten caught on. As soon as I hit the ground I got a call from 'Major Tom'.

"I see you've retrieved your backpack, Snake. Survival is fundamental to this mission. Solo covert actions are standard FOX operating procedure. You can't leave any traces of your presence. No weapons, equipment, footprints, sweat, or bodily wastes – the same goes for bullets and cartridges, too. Your presence in enemy territory is already a violation of international conventions of warfare. There aren't supposed to be any American soldiers in Russia. It could spark an international incident. You can't let anyone see you. You can't let the enemy know you're there. This is a stealth mission. You're a ghost, Snake, in every sense of the word. There'll be no rescue if you're captured. The military and the U.S. government will deny any involvement in the affair."

"Then I'll just have to take care of myself, huh." I said.

"I'm afraid so. You've been given a fake death pill for that purpose. SIS guidelines stipulate that soldiers on covert ops like this one, be issued a potassium cyanide capsule. Tape it to your body so you can take it when you need to."

"How generous of you."

"Use it if you're taken prisoner by the enemy. It'll send you into a state of false death for a short time."

"Fooling them into thinking I'm really dead. So how do I come back to life?"

"Just take the revival pill."

"You mean that thing they put into my tooth before the mission?"

"That's the one. But be careful. If you remain in a state of false death for too long, nothing will be able to bring you back. Remember that."

"I'll keep it in mind. You said this was a solo mission, right?"

"Right."

"I guess that means I can't count on any reinforcements."

"Correct. The mission is entirely in your hands."

No pressure.

"A real one-man army."

"Relax, there's a support team ready to back you up over the radio."

That'll help a lot.

"Who?"

"I'll introduce them to you. This time, survival is of the utmost importance. The first member of the support group will be in charge of monitoring your physical condition – acting as a medic, so to speak – as well as recording your mission data. She's a member of FOX as well, and she's here on the gunship with me."

"'She?'"

"Hello, Snake. I'm Para-Medic." She said. "Nice to meet you."

"Para…Medic?"

"As is a medic who come in by parachute." She explained.

"Aren't you going to tell me your real name?"

"Are you going to tell me yours, Mr. Snake."

"My name, huh… it's John Doe."

"And they call you Jack for short?" She asked. "You're a regular captain Nemo."

"A name means nothing on the battlefield. After a week, no one has a name. What's your name?"

"Jane Doe."

"Very funny."

"I wasn't joking, but I'll tell you my name only if you manage to make it back alive. My frequency is 145.73."

"She's also in charge of recording your mission data." Tom said. "There's one more person I want to introduce you to, Snake." Even though he couldn't see me I made a quizzical face. "Speaking of Snakes, you remember The Boss, don't you? A legendary soldier, and your mentor. Actually it was The Boss that got the DCI's authorization in the first place. She's going to be serving as FOX's mission advisor."

"The Boss is?" I asked.

"She also helped me plan this mission. She and I were at SAS together."

"Jack, is that you?" She said. I hadn't heard her voice in years. "How many years has it been?"

"Boss?"

"That's right, it's me." I didn't know what to say. "Talk to me. Let me hear your voice."

"It's been 5 years, 72 days, and 18 hours."

"You've lost weight."

"You can tell just by the sound of my voice?"

"Of course I can. I know all about you."

"Really. Well, I don't know anything about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"… Why'd you disappear on me all of a sudden?" I asked.

"I was on a top-secret mission." I was silent. "You didn't need me anymore."

"But there were so many things I wanted you to teach me."

"No, I taught you everything you needed to know about fighting techniques." She said. "I taught you all I could. The rest you needed to learn on your own."

"Techniques, sure. But what about how to think like a soldier?"

"How to think like a soldier? I can't teach you that. A soldier needs to be strong in spirit, body and technique – and the only thing you can learn from someone else is technique. In fact, the technique doesn't even matter. What's most important is spirit. Spirit and body are like two side of a single coin. They're the same thing. I can't teach you how to think. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself. Listen to me, Jack. Just because soldiers are on the same side right now, doesn't mean they always will be. Having personal feelings about your comrades is one the worst sins you can commit. Politics determine who you face on the battlefield. And politics are a living thing. They change along with the times. Yesterday's good might be tomorrow's evil."

"Is that why you abandoned me?" I asked.

"No. It has nothing to do with you. I already told you, Jack. I was on a top-secret mission. A soldier has to follow whatever orders he'd given. It's not his place to question why. But you're looking for a reason to fight. You're a natural born fighter, but you're not quite a soldier. A soldier is a political tool, nothing more. That's doubly true if he's a career soldier. Right and wrong have no place in his mission. He has no enemies and no friends. Only the mission. You follow the order you're given. That's what being a soldier is."

"I do whatever I have to do to get the job done. I don't think about politics."

"That's not the same thing. Sooner or later, your conscience is going to bother you… In the end, you have to choose whether you're going to live as a soldier, or just another man with a gun… There's a saying in the Orient: 'Loyalty to the end.' Do you know what it means?" She asked.

"Being… patriotic?"

"It means devoting yourself to your country."

"I follow the President and the top brass I'm ready to die for them if necessary."

"The President and the top brass won't be there forever. Once their terms are up others will take their place."

"I follow the will of the leader, no matter who's in charge."

"People aren't the ones who dictate the missions."

"Then who does?"

"The times. People's values change over time. And so do the leaders of a country."

"So there's no such thing as an enemy in absolute terms."

"The enemies we fight are only enemies in relative term, constantly changing with the times." She paused. "As long as we have 'loyalty to the end', there's no point in believing in anything… even in those we love."

"And that's the way a soldier's supposed to think?"

"The only thing we can believe in with absolute certainty… it the mission Jack." She said.

"All right. But do me a favor." I said.

"What is it?"

"Call me Snake."

"Snake? Oh, right, your code name is Snake. It suits you well."

"That's right." Tom said. "The legendary unit that The Boss put together during World War II was a snake. The Cobra Unit… a group of heroes that brought the war to an end and saved the word. As long as you've got a legendary hero backing you up, you'll be fine. Isn't that right, Snake?"

"Yeah. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have with me. Oh, and one more thing, Boss…"

"Yes?"

"It's good to hear your voice again."

"Same here. After all, who knows if either of us will make it out alive… Snake, you were always best at urban warfare and infiltrating buildings. But this is the jungle. Survival is going to be key. Those CQC techniques I taught you are sure to come in handy."

"CQC – close quarters combat, huh… I've been in the Green Berets for the past few years. I'm probably pretty rusty."

"Not to worry. I'll be here to help you remember. After all, this is your first actual survival mission. I'll be supporting you over the radio."

"Where are you, Boss? Next to the major?"

"The Boss is communicating with us by radio from aboard a Permit-class submarine in the Arctic Ocean." Tom said.

"My frequency is 141.80. Call me if you need my advice on battle field techniques."

"Gotcha."

"Your mission is to retrieve Dr. Sokolov. Dr. Sokolov is being held in an abandoned factory located to the north of your current position. Avoid heavy combat and don't let anyone see you. Don't forget that this is a stealth mission."

"Snake, try to remember some of the basics of CQC." I stood up and took out my knife and gun.

"Commencing Virtuous Mission… now." I headed north into the Dremuchij Swampland. I moved forward through the brush and grass until I got to the mud swamp. There were a few Alligators or Crocodiles around and a few birds flying around. I was going to need food sooner or later so I made my way over to the right towards one of them and shot it with my Mk22. Once I knew it was asleep I took out my knife and cut it up. I put the meat in my pack and stood up. I looked around and noticed a foot sticking out of a nearby area of bushes. I shot the Alligator/Crocodile that was near it before walking over. I cut up that one too then went to see what was in the bushes. I looked in and what I saw shocked and confused me. In the bushes lay a young teenage girl around the age of 16-17 with short bright red hair in a choppy style with her bangs covering her right eye. She was wearing black sneakers, dark blue jeans, and a black tank-top with thin straps. She had a few leaves in her hair and some dirt on her pants and shoes but other than that she looked okay. I got on the radio and called the major.

"Yes, Snake?"

"Major, I found a girl."

"Well good for you. Any particular reason you wanted to share this now?" He asked.

"No I mean I found one here, Right in front of me."

"What?"

"I found a girl lying in the bushes. She's alive, just unconscious."

"Well that's odd."

She looks American and young. She doesn't have any weapons or equipment on her."

"She'll most likely die if you just leave her to fend for herself in the jungle."

"Snake you can't just leave her there. She's just a kid." Para-Medic said.

"You want me to take her with me? I thought this was a stealth mission, now I have to worry about some kid?

"This is a secret stealth mission snake. We can't have anyone come and get her. You'll have to take her with you for now." The major said.

"Snake you should put some bandages on the cuts on her arms." Para-medic said.

"They don't look that deep. They're just scratches."

"Snake, you can't risk her getting infections." She said.

"Fine."

"You'll have to be extra careful from now on." The major said. "You can't afford for the enemy to see her. They could use her as leverage to get to you."

"You make it sound like she's important to me. I don't even know the kid."

"Snake you can't be that heartless can you? She's just a little girl."

"She's not exactly a little kid."

"Excuse me?"

"Her uh… bust."

"Snake!" Para-medic scolded.

"What?

"She's like..17!"

"Hey I didn't say I liked her in that way."

"Whatever, just bandage her cuts and see if you can wake her."

"Snake, be careful." The major said before signing off. I switch off the radio and got the bandages and disinfectant out of my pack. I disinfect the cuts and wrap them. I put everything away and start to shake the girl awake.

Rayne's pov

I woke up lying on my back on the ground. I was being shaken lightly.

"mmm"

"Hey, wake up." said a rough voice. I open my eyes slowly.

Snake?

"Hey, are you alright?" I blink.

"u-um, yeah."

Am I dreaming?

"How did you get out here?"

"I don't know." I said looking around.

How did I get here?

"Listen since I can't leave you here, you have to come with me. Here." He handed me the EZ gun.

Hey my favorite tranquilizer gun. I guess if this is a dream my mind processed that I play on Very Easy mode. Of course the only reason is for the EZ gun.

"Ground rules: Stay behind me and don't be too noisy. If you have to tell me something wait until I tell you that you can talk. And call me Snake. What's your name?"

"Rayne." He nodded and stands up. He extends and hand I helps me up. I brush off some leafs and dirt.

"Hey, how old are you?"

"19." He looked over at me for a bit before walking towards the mud. I followed him. "I'm not walking in that." I said making a face. He sighed and came over suddenly picking me up and swinging me over his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Quiet." He said before walking through the mud to the other side. He put me down once we were across. We went up the path before going into the next area. We walked forward and Snake took out his binoculars and looked to see the soldiers ahead.

"Major I've spotted two enemy soldiers. AK-47s and grenades." Since he was the one with the ear piece in I couldn't hear what anyone on the other line was saying. I sighed quietly and he gave me a look to be quiet. I took his binoculars and looked to see where the soldiers were. I smirked to myself. This would be just like playing the game, only with two Snakes. Well one Snake and a whimp-ier Snake. I gave him back the binoculars before quickly moving up towards the log nearby. I got down and crawled inside. It was a lot harder and hurt more than it looked. I looked back through the opening at the back and saw Snake in the tall grass behind me. He didn't look too happy. I turned my head back and waited for the soldier to walk into the area. Once he did I waited until he was far enough away from the other before shooting him in the neck with the tranquilizer. Once the guy fell over I crawled out. I looked back to see Snake getting up and coming over. I walked forward. Snake followed me, simply trying to catch up with me while being quiet. I got on the ground and started to slowly crawl through the grass. I wasn't one of those girls who hated getting dirty. Plus I was wearing dark things anyway. I crawled until I was able to get a good shot at the other soldier. I aimed for his neck and shot him. Once he was down I crawled forward. Snake caught up to me and grabbed my right arm.

"What?" I whispered.

"What are you doing?"

"You made it clear these were our enemies so I took them out."

"My. My enemies. You're not part of this."

"I can still help." I said.

"I don't need help."

"Then what was the point of giving me this?" I asked holding up the EZ gun.

"Protection."

"That's what I'm doing. I'm protecting us."

"I don't need protection. If I'm not here to save you, you use that."

"Fine." I said started to crawl forward. He stopped me.

"And you stay behind me."

"Fine." He crawled ahead of me and took out the third soldier. He took out something from his pack and stood up.

"Come on." I huffed but got up and followed him up a small hill. I knew the next area was where the bridge was. Snake took out his binoculars again and I tapped his arm.

"Snake?" I asked as quietly as I could. He looked at me. I pointed to the hornet's nest in the tree. "Can I shoot it down?" I asked. He smirked slightly.

"If you can." I smiled and took aim. I waited until one of the two men below was near where it would land. It hit the ground and the one closest looked at it.

"Huh?" Suddenly the bees started swarming. "Gah!"

"What the-?" The other questioned before walking over as the bees chased the other guy across the bridge. I saw Snake smirking before he shot the other guy with his tranquilizer. I stood up.

"Get down we don't know if there are more." Snake said.

"There's no one else." I said before I slid down the little cliff.

"Rayne." Snake hissed, following after me and followed me to the bushes on the right side. I aimed carefully and shot the ropes at the middle of the bridge on the right side. "What are you doing?!"

"Just watch." I said quietly in sing song. After a bit four soldiers come matching toward the bridge, three started across while the other stayed on the other side. "Now watch this." I shot the first one once he reached where the ropes were severed. The other three stopped and I shot them they all fell over and slid off the bridge. "See."

"Don't get cocky." Snake said.

"There's only two other people over there." He looked at me.

"What? How would you know that? Where are they?"

"One is walking up and down over there," I pointed over to the path that went down to where the indent in the cliff was where there was a gun. "and one walking back and forth over there." I pointed over to the solider walking back and forth on the other side of the bridge. I gasped when Snake suddenly flipped me over and got on top of me holing his knife to my throat and gun pointed at me. Even though it was a tranquilizer it was still intimidating.

"How do you know so much? Who are you?" I stared up at him wide-eyed.

"S-Snake." He glared down at me. I felt myself start to shake. The radio made a noise in his ear and he got off of me to answer it. I stayed frozen on the ground.

-Radio-

"What?" Snake asked.

"Snake don't scare the girl." Para medic said.

"It is suspisious that she knows so much but you shouldn't scare her." The major said.

"She could be with the enemy."

"I highly doubt that."

"Snake look at her she's terrified." Para medic said.

"She's only shaking a little bit."

"Snake, Apologize."

"What?"

"Snake it would be better to be on good terms with her, her knowledge may come in handy." The major said.

"Fine I'll do it."

"Thanks Snake." Para medic said.

"Hm."

-Radio end-

"Hey." I looked over at Snake. "I'm... sorry." He said. I swallowed.

"I-it's ok." I rolled back over on my stomach and raised the EZ gun. My hands were shaking slightly.

"Relax. You can't shoot with your hands shaking like that." He put a hand over mine. I blushed and looked at him. His hands were warm. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked and put a hand on my forehead. My cheeks heat up even more. "You don't seem warm." he put a hand on my cheek to check it's temp. I blushed even more. "You're blushing. Heh. You shouldn't get attached to me. Especially since I'm 10 years older than you. Now steady your hands and aim." I nodded and took a deep breath. I raised the EZ and aimed it at the guy walking back and forth. I gasped and jumped as I feel something touch my ankle. I pull the trigger and missed. The solider ducked and took cover before calling for back up over the radio. "What happened? "

"I-I'm sorry, something touched my ankle and scared me." Snake looked at my ankles.

"It was just a snake."

How ironic.

"Do that thing you did before with the solders coming now." I nodded and raised the EZ. I took out the soldiers that tried to cross the bridge. "ok the one going up and down is still there. Can I see the binoculars?" he handed them over. I looked to see where the guy was and shot him. He fell over.

"how do you suppose we get across the bridge?" I shot the ropes across from the ones I shot before.

"there." We stood up and started to cross the bridge.

Ending it here, not sure if I'll continue this or not, I wanna know if people like it plus I have to play the game again lol. I've been writing little parts for this for like years. Tell me what you think please!